Waiting on God’s Promises
6/15/03 | Jeff Williams | Malachi 4:1-6
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Series: Step It Up
My seven year old son Joshua has recently become very interested in me. Each night before he goes to sleep he begs me to tell him "stories about my life". He’s asked about all the pets I had, what schools I attended, what sports I’ve played, how much I got in trouble, and what my room looked like when I was his age. He is fascinated by even the smallest details, like how many phones we had growing up, and is disappointed when I tell him it’s time to go to bed.
The other night, as I was leaving the room, he asked me to tell him about the "best days of my life." I leaned against his wall and smiled. I answered, "this past week in Wisconsin with Maxine and both of my boys was pretty awesome!" "Dad, I mean a long time ago, " Joshua said. I continued, "November 28, 1992. That’s the date God gave mommy to me. Then there’s November 14, 1995 and March 28, 1998. That’s when God gave us you and Austin." Joshua’s mind was turning and said, "How about the day you asked Jesus to be your Savior?" "Yep! December 31, 1990", I answered, "that was another one of my best days."
Then we talked about my worst days like March 4, 2000, when I got a call that my mother had died. Another day that quickly came to mind was June 17, 1997. That week we buried a beautiful sixteen year old member of our student ministry named Leanne. He agreed those were bad days. Satisfied, he sighed, turned over and said good night and was asleep within within minutes. I watched him and wondered what mountains and valleys God has in store for him.
Could I ask you to interact with me a bit? I would like to hear from a couple of you. Tell us about your best day. Just shout out a date and tell us what happened on that day.
Thank you for sharing those wonderful days with us. I will not ask you to share your worst days but each of you could name several. Some days you wish you could live over and over again and some days you try to forget.
This morning we are going to be hearing from God’s Word about a day that is coming that will be unlike any other day ever in the history of the universe. I you have asked Jesus Christ to be the forgiver and leader of your life, that day will be infinitely better than even your best day. I you do not have a relationship with God, with Christ, that day will make your worst day seem like a picnic! It will be the most terrible, wonderful, incredible day ever.
We have come to the ending verse of Malachi and to the end of our "Step it Up" series. For the last nine weeks we have mined the depths of this Old Testament prophet’s words. We have learned that God loves us and chose us (1:1-5), that we should give God our best in worship (1:6-14), that good leadership is essential to Christian growth (2:1-9), that marriage is a covenant that God designed to be permanent (2:10-16), that Jesus is coming back and it should affect the way we live (2:17-3:5), that we are to honor God with our finances (3:6-12), and that we have been called to serve each other and the body of Christ (2:13-18). Now we come to the last six verses of the book a Malachi and this morning we will study:
* The day of the Lord (4:1a)
* The Fate of the Faithless (4:1b-2)
* The Reward of the Righteous (4:3)
* The Call to Obedience (4:4)
* The Promise of Reconciliation (4:5-6)
The Day of the Lord
In the Hebrew Scriptures, there is no chapter four in the book of Malachi. This division was added later. The last six verses are a continuation of chapter three that we studied together last week.
Malachi says that there will be a distinction between the ones that love God and the ones who only loves themselves. Then we read:
Mal 4:1 "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace."
The term "the day of the Lord" is used 25 times in 23 verses in the Bible by Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zachariah, our friend Malachi, Luke in the book of Acts, by Paul in I and II Thessalonians, and Peter in I and II Peter.
While these biblical writers use the term "day" it is obvious that they are referring if a period of time rather than a twenty-four hour date on a calendar. Most commentators agree that the "day of the Lord" refers to the time directly after the church is raptured, continues through the tribulation period, and culminates in the second coming, the millennium rule, and the great white throne judgment described in Revelation 20.
Malachi put his prophetic glasses on and peered into the future. He tells us that there is a day coming when judgment will be imminent and unavoidable. Many of the prophets saw this day coming and described it in the most graphic of terms.
The day of the Lord will be a....
* A Day of dread
The prophet Joel describes this time in terms of fear and terror.
"The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11)
* A Day of darkness
The absence of light is a sign of judgment. Isaiah writes:
"The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give it’s light." (Isaiah 13:10)
and in Joel again......
"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." (Joel 2:31)
Zephaniah continues....
"....a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness...." (Zephaniah 1:15b)
* A Day of Destruction
Listen to Isaiah again:
"Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty." (Isaiah 13:6)
And Peter writes:
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10)
* A Day of Distress:
Isaiah continues:
"Because of this, all hands will go limp; every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame." (Isaiah 13:7-8)
Zephaniah’s imagery is just as stark:
"That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin...I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD." (Zephaniah 15,17)
* A day of decisive judgment
This will be time that the distinction between the godly and unrighteous will be laid bare.
"See, the day of the LORD is coming - a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger – to makedesolate dessolate and destroy the sinners within it. I will punish the world for it’s evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless." (Isaiah 13:11)
* A day of destiny
This day is coming. God has delayed the judgment because of his great mercy and His desire to see all mankind saved and restored. But judgment delayed is not judgment ignored. William Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
"Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly small. Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness He grinds all."
Peter in response to scoffers who were questioning whether Christ would really return says:
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
I love the way the Message translates this verse:
"God is not late with His promises as some understand lateness. He is restraining Himself because of you, holding back to the End because he does not want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change." (2 Peter 3:9, The Message)
Pastor Gerald Flury writes:
"The "Day of the Lord" refers to the day when God, His reputation, His honor aKingdom Kindom will be revealed and vindiThosed. Thos that have smeared his reputation will find it coming back on their ownThisd. Thos thalaughedaughted and ignored His claims will be confronted by them in an inescapable way. Those that have stood by them, stuck to them, and suffered for them will receive final and total relief and reward. Those that have honored the Lord will be honored by Him." ("The Day of the Lord - Part 1), 2001, SermonCentral.com)
Malachi then gives us more detail about the judgment that is to come.
The Fate of the Faithless
"All the arrogant and every evildoer will stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them." (Malachi 4:1b-2)
In the third chapter of Malachi, God purges and cleanses His people with a "refiner’s fire." (Malachi 3:2-3) In the first verses in chapter four, we are given a very different picture. The wicked will be destroyed in the fire of God’s judgment.
These people are described as "arrogant and evil doers." Ultimately, pride will be their downfall. J. Oswald Chambers writes: "Nothing is more distasteful to God than self-conceit. This first and fundamental sin in essence aims at enthroning self at the expense of God."
* The arrogant are blessed
If you remefromfromk a couple of weeks ago, Malachi records the people indictment of God.
The New Living Translation puts it this way:
"You have said, "What's the use in serving God?" What have we gained by obeying His commands or by trying to show the Lord Almighty how sorry we are for our sins? From now on we will say "Blessed are the arrogant." For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm." (Malachi 3:14-15, The New Living Translation)
The people said, "What's the deal? We sacrifice and suffer for God and the evil doers seem to prosper. In fact, they challenge God and God does nothing about it."
Malachi says that there is a day coming that these wicked people will be judged and there will be escape for them.
* The arrogant are blasted
They are described as stubble or chaff. Stubble is the useless part of grain similar to straw that is consumed within seconds after being thrown into the fire. I hbrilliantllant idea to try to set some chaff on fire to illustrate this pint but was warned that even a small amount can be highly explosive. As quickly as it is ignited, it is incinerated.
The root of a plant is its foundation and source of life. The branches areoutwardrward expression of it's inward vitality. Malachi states that both the root and the branches will be destroyed by fire. Those people who seem so strong and firmly rooted will be consumed in an instant. The judgment is total.
John Walvoord wrotThe"THe day of the Lord is a period of time in which God will deal with wicked men directly and dramatically in fearful judgment. Today a man may be a blasphemer of God, an atheist, can denounce God and teach bad doctrine. Seemingly, God does nothing about it. But the day designated in Scripture as the 'day of the Lord' is coming when God will punish human sin, and will deal in wrath and in judgment with a Christ-rejecting world. One thing we are sure of God in His own way will bring every soul into judgment." (The Thessalonians Epistles, pg. 76)
Before we leave this verse, it is important to reach to you the words of Jesus concerning the nature of the people that will be judged as "wicked."
Matthew records these sobering words:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter thekingdome of heaven, butopenlyy he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord', did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name, and in your name drive our demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:21-23)
* The "arrogant and evil doer" could be just like you.
When we think of arrogant and evil doers, we think of the criminals and "bad" people that cause havoc in our society. Jesus that many of those who will be judged will look like us! They were prophesying, driving our demons, and even performing miracles in the name of Jesus and He call them evil doers. He makes a profound statement, "I never knew you." This does not mean Christ does not know who they are, it means they did not have a relationship with them.
I had a professor in seminary who attended Oxford in the 1960's. This was at the height of a movement in which theDeityy of Christ, the virgin birth, and the miracles of Jesuswerew being explained away as out-dated and unnecessary. Dr. Kellyremainedc firm in his defense of Orthodox Christianity and took a lot of heat for his convictions. He said he received a call twenty-five years after they had graduated from aclassmatee. This man had pastored for the the last quarter of a century and had become quite successful. He was calling Dr. Kelly to thank him for standing up for the truth while they were in school. This surprised Dr. Kelly because he knew this pastor to be one of the liberal thinkers in his class. What he said next was nothing less than amazing. This successful pastor told Dr. Kelly that he had recently surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and described himself as born-again. This man preached for over twenty-five years. He conducted funerals and weddings, and he counseled and spoke about the things of God. In the end, this man was not a Christian. He had never surrendered his life to Christ and trusted Hisredeemingg work on the cross.
I have never forgotten this story and I hope you do not either. It is the differences between knowing about someone and actually knowing them. I know all about Michael Jordan, but if I went and knocked on his gate and asked to see him I would probably meet his nice guard dogs. Will it be that way for you on the day of the Lord? You may know all about Jesus, but do not know Him as the forgiver and leader of your life?
Listen to the advice of the apostle Paul:
Examine yourselves to whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)
The Reward of the Righteous
"The for you who revere [fear] my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing it it's wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feat on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty." (Malachi 4:2-3)
While Malachi uses vivid imagery to describe the fate of the faithless, he reserves his most stunning word picture for the righteous who "revere his name."
* Revering His Name
What does it mean to "revere or fear His name?" It means to hold it in high honor and live your life in such a way that would bring only glory to His name.
"Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. PSs 86: 11-13)
And Solomon tells us that....
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...." (Proverbs 1:7)
* The Sun of Righteousness
For those who revere God's name, who stand in awe of Him, and have placed their trust in Him completely for the forgiveness of their sins, Malachi states that the "sun ofrighteouss ness will rise with healing in his wings." What a beautiful word picture Malachi paints for us here. Some of your translations have the word "sun" capitalized, while others do not. Some commentators see this a a description of the perfection of God'srighteousnesss shining brightlywithh enlightenment and healing on those God calls His own. To others, Like Martin Luther, this is a Messianic prophesy describing the coming of Jesus Christ when he will....
"....wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning orcryingg or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev. 21:4)
* We will revel in His presence
Because of the revelation of the sun or righteousness, we will revel in his presence. Malachi states we will go out and leap like calves released from their stalls. With leaping and dancing we will celebrate and worship our King. I saw and interestingsighty oneyearr at Cornerstone Festival that reminds me of this verse:
As I was taking a group of students to the main stage, we met two girls dressed in cow outfits, udders and all! I watched these two girls dance, sing, kneel and worship for most of the night. As strange as this illustration is to some of you, that is what Malachi was describing. What unbridled joy, we will worship in freedom and in the presence of Jesus.
* We will witness God's revenge
Malachi then says that we will trample the wicked and they will be like ashes under the soles of our feet. Throughout the Bible, God tells us that it is His job to avenge injustice, not ours. Paul cautions us:
"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written; "It is mine toavengee; I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19; Duet 32:35)
At that time in history, we shall be part of God's conquering army. Finally, all of theinjusticess shall be dealt with and we will be witness to the judgment of the "blessed arrogant." As much as we love to see the bad guy get what he deserves, I firmly believe we will take no pleasure in seeing this heartbreaking scene.
For the righteous, this will be a time of unequaled joy and celebration. We will not be judged according to our sins, our sins have already been dealt with on the cross.
Paul says in his letter to the church at Colosse:
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Col 1:19-20).
Let's spend the next minutes worshiping with joy and thankfulness for the tremendous privilege of being a child of God!
A Call to Obedience
"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel." Malachi 4:4
Malachi begins to draw the book to a close. He began his prophesy by quoting Genesis in chapter one and ends will challenge to take God's Law seriously. Multiple times in these four chapters Malachi has confronted the Israelites with their lukewarm commitment to God's decrees. This is significant because these verses help to close the entire record of the Old Testament Scripture. For the next 400 years, God would be going "offline." This would be a time of deafening silence from heaven. No prophets to speak God's words, not Divine intervention within human history for nearly half a millennium. This is the last command of the Old Testament. What does it involve?
God points them back to the basics. The decrees and laws that he gave Moses on Horeb (or Sinai) formed the foundation of their culture and His covenant with them. Malachi issues a call to remember. This involves so much more than just being able to recall Bible verses to impress friends. The word "remember" implies obedience. It means to "Put it into practice", or as we would say in our day, "walk your talk." As D.L. Moody once said, "The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."
* The Pharisees
During what we can the Intertestimental Time, those 400 years that God was silent, there was a group of people that took this call from Malachi very seriously. They tried to keep the commandments and the decrees of God. These were sincere men who truly wanted to bring God glory by obeying Him to the best of their ability. They were called the Pharisees. In the Gospels, the Pharisees are given a bad rap, and rightly so. They had become more interested in the Law than in the Law-Giver. Jesus calls them hypocrites because they cal follow all the right rules but they did not understand God's mercy and love for lost souls.
"Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you lead people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (Luke 11:46)
* The Promise of Blessing
Though the Pharisees took it too far, we can not fault them for their desire to be obedient. We sing a song around here called "Trading my Sorrows." In the bridge we sing, "yes Lord." God wants our yeses. He calls us to obey Him and promises to bless us if we do.
To a scared and insecure Joshua, God states:
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from
your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Josh 1:6-8)
Over a hundred and fifty times in Scripture God says obey me and I will bless you.
* Putting it into practice
John said that our obedience is the outward manifestation of our love for God.
"This is love for God: to obey his commands." (1 John 5:3)
As a parent, I am constantly faced with the challenge of teaching my children to obey. It isn't easy, I can assure you of that. Recently, after seeing a movie about secret agents, I convinced the boys that I was a secret agent. I told them this was our secret and they could not tell mommy. Immediately, Austin ran inside to tell Maxine that her husband was really and undercover spy. Joshua became very upset and asked what he should do. I told him that before Austin could get to Mommy he must be terminated. Joshua took off and attacked Austin in the living room pulling his arm back up behind his back. I entered the house just as I heard a crack. I thought Josh had broken Austin's arm. Maxine demanded to know what was going on and Joshua told her that I had ordered him to terminate Austin. At least he was obedient! Maxine did not find this amusing.
Jesus said:
"Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:23-24)
Malachi challenged the priests to be obedient to God's Laws. The same challenge holds for us to day.
The Promise of Reconciliation
Mal 4:5-6:5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."
What a strange way to end this book. What a strange way to end the Old Testament! When Jewish rabbis read Malachi they repeat verse five after verse six. The Greek translation of the Old Testament reverses the order of these two verses. We all like happy endings and the threat of a curse does not make for a cheerful conclusion to this book. Let's unpack this verse a bit.
* In the spirit and power of Elijah
God promises that before the "day of the Lord" He will send the prophet Elijah. Remember, Elijah never died (see 2 Kings 2:11-12) and he is often used in Scripture to represent the prophets as a whole. Four hundred years after Malachi was written, an angel appeared to a priest named Zachariah and told him he would have a son:
"....and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:14-17)
It is important to understand that John the Baptist only partially fulfilled this prophesy. In Matthew 17, Jesus said that John was Elijah. In John 1:21, John the Baptist specifically denied he is Elijah. What's going on here? John the Baptist was not Elijah but, in a figurative sense, represents Elijah. Malachi says that Elijah's coming will be right before the great day of the Lord. Revelation 11 tells of two witnesses who will prophesy for 1,260 days and have the power to "shut up the sky so that it will not rain." (Revelation 11:6) Elijah is the prophet that told Ahab "There will be neither dew or rain in the next several years except at my word.." (I Kings 17:1)
The Jews are still waiting for Elijah to usher in the Messiah's coming. At every Passover meal, there is an empty chair and an empty glass for Elijah and a door is left open in anticipation of his arrival. John the Baptist came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" and announced Messiah had come and his name is Jesus, and only He can reconcile ruptured relationships.
Today is Father's day and many of you will honor and celebrate fathers. But for others, this is a very difficult day. Perhaps your father is no longer living and you miss him. There may be some in here whose father is still alive but you do not have a relationship with him. There is something inside of every child who desperately wants to be known, accepted and loved by their father. When that love is not given, the child can struggle for years with feelings of what psychologists call "father-hunger." I know about this condition all too well.
My father is a civil engineer, a math mind. He is logical, practical and pragmatic. As a child, my dream was to be on Broadway. I sang and danced on top of the the living room table, I wrote poetry and music, and would do stand up comedy routines to my stuffed animals. I know this is hard to imagine! My father did not know what to do with me. DO not get me wrong, my dad was involved. He was my baseball coach, and the leader of my Cub Scout troop. But he did not connect with me on an emotional level. I did not feel accepted by him and felt insecure and ashamed.
This lack of emotional bond caused chaos in my teenage years and in my relationships. I am convinced that those feelings could have destroyed me if it wasn't for God's miraculous intervention in my life when I was twenty-one years old. After asking God to the the leader and forgiver of my life. I started praying for my dad and started the process of forgiving him. Little did I know that God was working in my father's life as well. He said that he was lying in bed one night and the question kept coming into his head, "What do my two boys need from me right now?" He concluded that "we needed to know that he loved us."
Remember our talk about the best days in the beginning of this sermon? I saved this one for last. I was living in North Caroline and had gone over to the post office to get the mail. My friend Maxine was with me and I showed her an unusual envelope. It was from my dad. We went back to my apartment and I sat on the floor and opened the letter. What happened next was an Elijah moment. The letter in effect said that he was very sorry he had worked so much when we were little, but he was trying to provide for us. He was also sorry that he did not know how to enter my emotional world but hat he loved me, accepted me, and was proud of me. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I re-read it out loud to Maxine. God had started the process of turning the heart of my father back to his child and my heart back to my father. The only reason that happened was because Jesus Christ dramatically changed both of our hearts. My father is now an incredible man of God and is one of my best friends.
I hesitate to tell this story because I realize it is so unique. Just this week, I have talked to multiple students and even a few adult who are struggling because of their father's lack of love for them. With tears in their eyes they spoke of how much they want a relationship with their dads and how much it hurts when these men do not seem to care. My counsel to each one of them was directly from Malachi four - only Jesus Christ can change the situation.
* Only God can be the perfect Father
First completely surrender you life to Christ. This will start the process of healing and forgiveness. Then start praying for your dad. You may never get a letter of even the "I love you" you have dreamed about for so long. But you will start realizing that God wants to be your father. Listen to how David describes God's heart for you:
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. (Psalm 27:10)
and
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him." (Psalm 103:13)
My father told me that if I preached about him I had to end the sermon with a challenge. Some of you need to go home and write a letter, compose an email, make a phone call, or make a visit. Do it! Do not let the sun go down tonight without making a step toward your children. You make think it is too late. It's not. You may think it's impossible. But God promises that reconciliation can happen. And he is the original Promise Keeper!
We are going to end our service this morning with a simple song called "He Knows My Name". It is a simple chorus that recognizes that God is the Father we have been longing for. While we sing together, there may be someone who needs to surrender to Christ. Right where you sit, you can deal with God. Admit you are a sinner (Romans 3:23), that you trust Christ as Savior (Roman 10:9) and that you totally surrender all that you are to Him (Romans 12:1-3). Others may need someone to talk to about your relationship with your father or your children.